Culinary treatment tool for cold culinary preparations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food preparation appliances for cold dishes like ice cream and sorbet have high processing times due to limited heat exchange between the chilled base and ingredients, as the scraping blade sweeps at high frequency across the container surface, limiting heat transfer.

Innovation Solution

A food processing tool with a blade design that creates a planetary motion, featuring a first part slightly spaced from the cooling base to spread ingredients and a second part to scrape, optimizing heat exchange by promoting contact with the cooling base during mixing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the scraping blade sweeps at high frequency across the chilled base surface, then the mixing action is effective, but the heat exchange time between the chilled base and ingredients is limited, resulting in high processing time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing timeVSAvoidheat exchange time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The blade is segmented into two distinct parts: a first part that packs ingredients onto the cooling base and a second part that scrapes the ingredients. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally, with the first part ensuring good thermal contact and the second part providing effective mixing, thereby resolving the contradiction between mixing effectiveness and heat exchange time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The blade is designed to move in planetary motion, combining rotation about its own axis with revolution around the central axis. This dynamic motion pattern ensures that the blade continuously changes its position and angle relative to the ingredients, providing both effective packing and scraping actions while maintaining prolonged contact with the cooling base for improved heat exchange.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Temperature

If the blade contacts the chilled base directly, then heat exchange is maximized, but the blade cannot effectively pack and spread the ingredients on the surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange efficiencyVSAvoidingredient packing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The blade is divided into two parts with different functions: the first part is designed to pack and spread ingredients onto the cooling base surface, while the second part is designed to scrape and mix the ingredients. This segmentation allows the first part to focus on ingredient distribution without being constrained by direct scraping contact, while the second part provides the necessary mixing action, thereby resolving the contradiction between heat exchange efficiency and ingredient packing capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the blade are designed with different local qualities and geometries optimized for their specific functions. The first part has a configuration suitable for packing and spreading, while the second part has a configuration optimized for scraping. This local differentiation allows each part to perform its function effectively, resolving the contradiction between heat exchange and ingredient handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The blade design reduces processing time by enhancing heat exchange between the ingredients and the cooling base, resulting in faster preparation of cold foods like ice cream and sorbet.

Implementation Method 1

heat exchange between the ingredients and the cooling base

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

the blade has a first part configured to be spaced away from the top surface and to pack the food preparation onto the top surface, and a second part configured to scrape the top surface during a planetary motion of the food processing tool

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4670592A1Culinary treatment tool for cold culinary preparations
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 SEB SA
  • EP4670592A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4670592A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4670592A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a food processing tool (200) for cold food preparations such as ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt, adapted to come into contact with the upper surface of a cooling base inside a bowl of a food preparation appliance. The food processing tool (200) is adapted to be driven in rotation by a planetary motion. According to the invention, the food processing tool (200) comprises a blade (201) extending radially from the first axis (X1) and having a blade (202) provided with a first part (203) and a second part (204). The first part (203) extends radially from a first axis (X1) and is extended by the second part (204), which is offset from the first axis (X1) and disposed at a distance D1 below the first part (203).The first part (203) allows the culinary preparation to be compacted on the upper surface and the second part (204) allows the upper surface to be scraped, during said planetary movement.